Kiryandongo, Uganda: At least 63 people have been confirmed dead and several others left nursing critical injuries following a horrific road crash that occurred in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, at Kitaleba Village, near Asili Farm, along the Kampala–Gulu Highway.
According to an October 22 statement issued by SP Michael Kananura, the Police Traffic and Road Safety spokesperson, the accident occurred at around 12:15 a.m. and involved four motor vehicles; UBF 614X Isuzu Bus of Nile Star Coaches, UAM 045V Isuzu Bus (Planet Company), UBK 647C Tata Lorry and a CGO 5132AB 07 Toyota Surf.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the Nile Star Coaches bus, traveling from Kampala towards Gulu, attempted to overtake the Tata Lorry (UBK 647C) at the same time the Planet Company bus, coming from the opposite direction, tried to overtake the Toyota Surf (CGO 5132AB 07).
“In the process, both buses met head-on during the overtaking manoeuvres. One of the drivers swerved in an attempt to avoid collision, but this resulted in a head-on and side collision, causing a chain reaction that led to other vehicles losing control and overturning several times. As a result, 63 people lost lives, all occupants from the involved vehicles, and several others sustained injuries,” SP Kananura said.
Police teams responded promptly, evacuating the injured to Kiryandongo Hospital and other nearby medical facilities, while the bodies of the deceased were taken to the same hospital mortuary for postmortem and identification.
“As investigations continue, we strongly urge all motorists to exercise maximum caution on the roads, especially avoiding dangerous and careless overtaking, which remains one of the leading causes of crashes in the country,” the police statement added.
The Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety extended condolences to the bereaved families and wished a quick recovery to those injured.
The Kampala–Gulu Highway remains one of Uganda’s most accident-prone routes, with police attributing many fatalities to reckless overtaking, speeding, and poor road discipline among drivers.
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